Smarter. Medication. Management.

Author: triahealth

The CBD industry has been booming as of late and
you might be wondering if CBD oil is right for you. Unfortunately, the
popularity of CBD products is growing faster than researchers can keep up, and
there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the benefits and drawbacks.1
Currently, the FDA has not approved CBD oil as a standalone medication. While
doctors can still recommend it, they cannot currently write a prescription. Before
purchasing CBD oil, it’s important to talk with a pharmacist to avoid any
negative medication interactions.

What is CBD
Oil?

Cannabidiol is extracted from the flowers and buds
of marijuana or hemp plants. It does not produce intoxication; marijuana’s
“high” is caused by the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The
non-intoxicating marijuana extract is being credited with helping treat a host
of medical problems — everything from epileptic seizures to anxiety to
inflammation to sleeplessness.2

Is CBD Oil
Safe?

Last year, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration
advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of the CBD medication Epidolex
to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.3 As for CBD’s usefulness
in treating other conditions, the consensus is still unclear. One current
concern regarding the efficacy of CBD oil is the lack of regulation. The FDA
does not currently regulate products like CBD oil which can lead to a variation
in ingredients product-to-product.

CBD Oil and
Medication Interactions

It’s very important to talk to a pharmacist before
starting CBD oil, because it can interact with a lot of common and daily
medications. CBD oil is broken down by enzymes in your liver and during that
process, it can block those same enzymes from breaking down other medications. Drugs
for anxiety, cholesterol, seizures, blood thinners and heart medicines can all
interact negatively with CBD oil.1 While we’re not saying that you
should avoid CBD oil all together, you should always speak with a doctor or
pharmacist before purchasing.

Tria Health Can Answer Your Medication
Questions

If Tria Health is offered through your benefits
plan, you have the option of receiving a one-on-one, private consultation with
one of Tria Health’s pharmacists over the phone. During your consultation, your
pharmacist will review all your current medications, including vitamins and
supplements. If you’re interested in exploring CBD Oil, Tria’s pharmacist will
be able to provide you with recommendations.

According to a recent study published in Psychological Medicine, mental health
disorders affect 44 million American adults. This includes a variety of
conditions, including depression and anxiety. It is critical for organizations
to provide support for mental health, not only for the overall well-being of
their employees but also to help manage their overall health care cost.

Employers
Should Invest in Mental Health Because They Bear 50% of the Cost

Including mental health services in a
comprehensive benefits package is a smart decision for all employers. By investing
early, employers can attract new talent and offset some additional costs that
are associated with unmanaged mental health. Almost 43% of persons with severe
depressive symptoms reported serious difficulties in work, home and social
activities.1 A 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,
estimates depression costs the U.S. economy $210 billion annually; employers
bear 50% of that cost.

Patients
with Chronic Conditions and Depression are 2x Less Adherent

Chronic conditions can be a lot to manage at an
individual level. It’s not surprising that a percentage of those who are
diagnosed with a chronic condition also experience some form of depression or
anxiety. Studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of
depression than people without diabetes.2 This connection is
significant when it comes to adherence. Results
from 47 independent samples showed that depression was significantly associated
with non-adherence to the diabetes regimen. In addition, the estimated odds of
a depressed patient being non-adherent are 1.76 times the odds of a
non-depressed patient, across 31 studies and 18,245 participants.3

Provide a
Path to Care – Connect Employees to Providers

Employers can make accessing a mental or
behavioral healthcare provider easier by offering a program that helps connect
employees with providers who are in-network, vetted for quality of services and
accepting new patients.4 They can also provide assistance by making
sure employees know what programs and benefits are available. It’s one thing to
offer mental health services to employees, but it’s equally important that
everyone is familiar with and know how to access them.

Tria Health
and Mental Health

Many patients decide to take medications in order
to effectively manage their mental health. There are a variety of mental health
medications currently on the market, ranging from selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs) to atypical antidepressants. Because there isn’t a test to
measure to brain chemicals, it can be a trial and error process to identify the
best treatment for a patient. If Tria Health is offered through your benefits
plan, you have the option of receiving a one-on-one, private consultation with
one of Tria Health’s pharmacists over the phone. During your consultation, your
pharmacist will review all your current medications, including vitamins and
supplements. If you’re interested in exploring medication treatments for mental
health, Tria’s pharmacist will be able to provide you with recommendations.

Today we celebrate and recognize all the physicians
and providers for the impact they make on their patients and the health care
industry. The U.S. healthcare system now represents more than 18% of our
nation’s gross domestic product. Physicians
are on the front lines every day and the hours are long; the work can be
stressful; but they are still there day after day. Take the time to celebrate
the physicians in your life! National Doctor’s Day can be celebrated in several
different ways. You can personally thank your doctor or send them a card or
flowers.

At Tria Health, we coordinate with thousands of
physicians across the country. Our goal is to consistently provide them the
resources they need to continually provide optimal care to their patients. Tria
Health’s pharmacists provide one-on-one, private consultations to members who
take multiple medications and have a chronic condition. During a consultation,
a pharmacist will review all a patient’s current medications, including
vitamins and supplements. They then identify any opportunities for improvement,
whether it be with cost or dosage. All this information is then shared with a
patient’s physician(s).

Improving patient health is a team effort, and today we thank our MVPs. Be sure to reach out and thank your doctor today!

Share this:

Like this:

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping but unfortunately a lot of homes are still covered with the dust and clutter from winter. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get prepped for spring and summer fun! While you’re spring cleaning this year, be sure to take the time to go through your medicine cabinet and remove any unnecessary or expired medications.

What Should
You Look For?

Check Expiration Dates: Taking a
medication that is slightly expired is unlikely to cause harm, but it is
possible that it may not work as well. In general, it is best to acquire a new
prescription if your medication is expired. In addition, if the appearance of
the medication has changed this may be an indication of an expired product. If
you have an injectable solution or oral suspension that has changed colors or
consistency this might indicate a new prescription is needed.

Find Leftover Prescriptions: Leftover
antibiotics and other prescription medications from a previous condition should
be discarded. You should never attempt to treat yourself or anyone else with a
prescription medicine. Although your symptoms might seem similar to an illness
you had before, the cause could be different, or the medicine may not be the
right one to use this time around.1

Where to
Dispose of Medications

Many people will try to flush their medications
down the toilet or crush their medicines before throwing them in the trash to
try and be safe. However, this can be dangerous. Flushing can end up polluting
our waters and crushing medicines can put trash handlers at risk of exposure if
the drug were to encounter their skin or if they were to breathe in the dust.
Medicine take back programs are the best way to dispose of unwanted medicine. Click
here to locate a year-round authorized collector in your area.

How can Tria Health Help?

As a member of Tria Health, if you have questions
about whether or not you should dispose of your existing medications, call us
and one of our pharmacists can give you the professional guidance you need. in
addition, if you take multiple medications or have a chronic condition, Tria
provides one-on-one consultations with a clinical pharmacist who can assist you
with your medication management.

It’s official, spring is here! While many of us are
excited about the rise in temperature, if you’re one of the millions of people
who have seasonal allergies, you may be dreading what’s to come. Seasonal
allergies can mean sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other unpleasant
symptoms. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to minimize the effects
and keep allergies under control.

Reduce Your
Triggers1

Limiting your exposure to allergens can help reduce
your overall symptoms. A few ways you can do so are:

Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time
to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.

Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other
gardening chores that stir up allergens.

Decongestants: Provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Only use nasal decongestants for a few days in a row. Longer-term use of decongestant nasal sprays can actually worsen symptoms (rebound congestion).

Examples Include: Sudafed, Neo-Synephrine and Afrinol

Nasal Spray: Most effective when used before symptoms start and can ease most allergy symptoms.

Combination Medications: A combination of an antihistamine with a decongestant.

Examples Include: Claritin-D and Allegra-D

Tria Health
Can Answer Your Medication Questions

If Tria Health is offered through your benefits
plan, you have the option of receiving a one-on-one, private consultation with
one of Tria Health’s pharmacists over the phone. During your consultation, your
pharmacist will review all your current medications, including vitamins and
supplements. If you’re interested in exploring medication treatments for allergies,
Tria’s pharmacist will be able to provide you with recommendations.